Dispute of the Three

Writer's Cramp Entry for March 14, 2025

Dispute of the Three

The sun had barely kissed the horizon, casting long, red-gold rays over the moss-covered stones of the deep forest clearing. A pond shimmered beneath the light, surface rippling in the evening breeze. At its edge stood three unlikely companions: Briny, a mermaid whose scales glistened in the sunset; Kyanne, a fairy, wings sparkling with every beat, rainbows following her wake; and Snobble, a gnome whose mossy beard and knotted walking stick, embodied the forest's ancient wisdom.

Today, despite the beauty of their surroundings, saw no peace between them.

"You have no right to take what isn't yours!" Briny's soft voice rang with fury. Her tail flicked, creating waves splashing against the rocks.

"I've said before, Briny, the mushrooms are not yours to hoard!" Kyanne hovered, wings hissing in agitation. "All the fish you want are yours, but the mushrooms belong to the Sylvan!"

"This is nonsense," grumbled Snobble, standing between the two, arms crossed. "You two are like a storm and a mountain, never moving, never understanding. This fight's been going on far too long."

Briny and Kyanne glared at one another, tempers flaring as their long-standing disagreement reached its peak.

"The mushrooms are a resource of the water, Kyanne," Briny's pale green eyes narrowed. "My kin need them to keep the water's balance! You've been taking them for your magic potions and the festival, and the pond is drying up!"

"And the water, Briny," Kyanne's wings beat faster, sending a flurry of sparkles around her. "The water is mine! The Sylvan depends on my magic for balance, not yours. You merfolk think you can control everything that touches the water. You can't."

Snobble's foot tapped impatiently on the ground, sending a ripple through the grass beneath him.

"Enough! Both of you! There's no 'mine' or 'yours' in the Sylvan Wood. What's good for one is good for all. Try thinking about the entire forest instead of just your little corner of it."

They turned to the gnome, now scowling at them both.

"You're not even listening!" said Briny, her voice tinged with desperation. "I feel the water dying. The mushrooms aren't just for your potions or your festivals. They're part of the balance that sustains everything here. Without them, the water dies. The fish die. Everything dies."

"I know you're worried," Kyanne's wings fluttered as she hovered closer to Briny, expression softening but still defensive. "I feel the change, too. The wind tells me something is wrong. But the mushrooms... They're important to us too. We've always used them for our magic, to keep the festival alive, to maintain our connection to the forest. Without them, the Sylvan's spirit would fade. The magic would weaken. The forest's energy would be lost."

"I don't think you understand the urgency of this, Kyanne," Briny sighed deeply, still frustrated. "The imbalance grows daily. If we don't act soon, it might be too late."

"You both care about the forest," Snobble finally stepped forward, gnarled hand resting on his walking stick. His voice was steady. "I know you do. But you're both focused on your parts. You've forgotten the whole. There's more than just mushrooms or water or magic here. The Sylvan is alive. It can heal itself--if we help it."

Kyanne and Briny exchanged glances. Both silent, the weight of their argument hanging heavy in the air.

"I--" Kyanne started, wings drooping. "You're right, I've been selfish. I wanted the mushrooms for our people. I didn't think about what was happening beneath the surface."

"I know you didn't mean harm, Kyanne," Briny's gaze softened as she looked at the fairy. "The Sylvan is important to you, too. But I don't know how much longer before it's too late."

Snobble nodded.

"Let's stop arguing about what's yours and mine and start looking at what's ours."

"What if we tried something new?" Kyanne fluttered. "What if we worked together to protect both the mushrooms and the water?"

Briny tilted her head, eyes narrowing slightly in thought.

"What do you mean?"

"The wind," Kyanne pointed around them. "The way the water moves; the balance between the roots and the surface. I know a ritual. It's ancient magic--one that binds the forest, the water, and the mushrooms together. If we performed it together, we might restore the balance, without losing what we hold dear."

"But that magic hasn't been used in centuries," said Briny." Are you sure it will work?"

"I've studied it," Kyanne said, with conviction. "The Sylvan is shifting. We need to adapt, not just for one of us, but for all of us. The forest has a will of its own. We just need to listen."

"And what if we can't fix it?" Briny flicked her tail. "What if it's too late?"

"We won't know unless we try," Snobble said. "And besides, there's always hope in trying. That's what makes this place magical."

Briny hesitated, then nodded.

"Alright. Let's try. But we'll need to be careful. Every step we take must honor the forest's harmony."

"I'll gather the last of the mushrooms," Kyanne's wings fluttered in excitement. "Briny, you'll call to the water. We'll meet here tomorrow, at sunset."

"Aye," Snobble grinned, his gnome heart swelling with pride. "I'll prepare the roots. The Sylvan doesn't just give; it also needs."

And so, the three friends--once at odds--set aside their differences, united by their shared love for the forest. As the first stars twinkled above, they prepared for the ritual that would heal the Sylvan. They knew it wouldn't be easy, and the road ahead would be uncertain, but together, they would restore the balance.

In the end, it was the forest, not the mushrooms, the water, or the magic, that truly mattered. And with that, they took the first steps to healing it, as friends--not as mermaid, fairy, or gnome, but as beings who shared a bond deeper than any of their individual needs.